The Dark Side of Being an ARC Reviewer

Yes, the header is a bit dramatic. But I am a writer and a reader, so I’m inclined to make slightly dramatic headers ever once in a while. Not sorry.

Since I was a knee-high-to-a-grasshopper blogger, I’ve wanted to be an ARC reviewer. To me, it was the pinnacle of awesomeness in the blogging realm. We, squishy mortals, getting books to read BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE? Please, I’m hyperventilating.

Also: Before we go on, ARC is short for — Advanced Reader Copy. Like the army, bookworms also love acronyms. ARCs usually still have mistakes in them (they haven’t had the final edit) and the covers aren’t normal. For instance:

It’s almost been a year since I started ARC reviewing. But I do review a lot of library books, too. Because I can. Ha ha! I review ARCs through NetGalley and various Australian publishers who send books straight to my doorstep. Bless them.

Even though I’m still a wee grasshopper in the world of book blogging and ARCs, I’ve already noticed that there are pros and cons to being an ARC reviewer. I used to never understand why a lot of the “big blogs” would stop reviewing ARCs or decline really awesome and famous books coming out! It blew my tiny mind. Now I do.

Here are some reasons why ARC reviewing can be less-than-awesome:

the dark side of arc reviewing

1. You need to finish the book. Well, you don’t have to. I mean, no one’s paying you, exactly. But a publisher did just give you a book FOR FREE in exchange for your honest review. It’s not fair to them if you don’t review it. Besides! It’s really the “condition” for getting ARCs. You get them. You review them. Ta-da.

2. You need to review the book, even if you hated it. I don’t know about you, but I hate reviewing books I don’t like! I feel like a cranky old meanie. Particularly if a lot of other people liked the book…but I digress! Writing sucky reviews is incredibly hard and depressing.

3. You know those sucky reviews? You have to send them back to the publisher. I really struggle with this one. I tweet links of my reviews and tag the publisher and author in them (but I don’t tag the author if I hated the book…they don’t need to know!). I often email links of the reviews back to the publicist who sent me the book. I do NOT want to email back a review and say “thanks for giving me the book, but it was horrible”. Who wants to admit that?!!

4. You know those sucky books? THEY’RE NOW YOURS TO KEEP FOREVER. Bleh. If they’re ebooks, then it doesn’t matter. They just tuck away on into the abyss of my kindle. But what about my precious bookshelf?! I don’t like filling my shelves with awful books I really didn’t like! (Right now, I have several books I wouldn’t mind throwing into a black hole in space.)

Giveaways are a viable option for these books I don’t like (just because I had issues, doesn’t mean you will) but postage is expensive. Particularly in Australia. I love those authors who write 500-page books, but honestly? It’s very hard to send them without stealing the moon and selling it on the black market.

So yeah! There’s a dark side. It’s a little gloomy sometimes. If you only reviewed books you won/bought/borrowed, you wouldn’t have to worry about giving negative feedback or hurting people’s feelings.

If you don’t know much about ARC reviewing, I think it’s helpful to know this up-front. I went in assuming I’d love every book! I don’t know why I thought that. Just because a book isn’t published yet, doesn’t mean it’s going to be extra-awesome.

But wait! It sounds like I don’t like ARC reviewing WHICH IS TOTALLY NOT TRUE. I love ARC reviewing! It is my favourite thing of ever. I adore getting to read books ahead of time, and, words do not describe how much I love free books in my mailbox. I’ve always wanted to be a Real Book Blogger (whatever that means exactly), and I think I’m definitely on my way. I wouldn’t stop ARC reviewing for anything! And I absolutely love all the publishers who give me their books to review because it. makes. my. day.

Because, secretly now, shh, shh, don’t let anyone else know (this is just between us) — I’m very hugely extremely incredibly in love with books and I will read them forever and forever.

do you like reviewing ARCs? do you have more cons to add to my list? do you think ARC reviewing is as glamourous as it seems?

Cait gets a lot of packages of books in the mail. Her mother gets jealous because Cait gets more packages than anyone else in the house. Occasionally, if she is feeling nice, Cait even lets Mime open one of her packages. But mostly she doesn’t. Currently, she’s reading an ARC of SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY because reading makes her very happy.

Comments

All these are fears/concerns I have for if/when I start getting physical ARCs. Especially the sending back negative review parts. Right now I only use Netgalley and Edelweiss (though not frequently right now because I have a massive backlog to catch up with) and on there it's so much easier to request/send back negative reviews because it's through a website (sort of). Where as when it's a physical arc you requested and you're emailing an ACTUAL PERSON… that's so much more daunting.Anyway I kind of forgot the point of this comment. Maybe just, I KNOW THESE FEELS and am scared of the future when I might start experiencing them more (if I ever get the courage to actually request stuff)Oh an another con is extended wait for sequels. Because you read the first book early as an ARC, and yeah. I think you get the drift.

Yes, there is that con for sequels. *sobs in dark corner* WHY MUST WE WAIT A WHOLE YEAR FOR SEQUELS ANYHOW?! Okay, that's an entirely different matter…but still. I feel like I read RED RISING a decade ago (it was only back in Oct) and it's only NOW just out….so I'm going to still have to wait 12 months for the sequel. The horrors.Also: yes. NetGalley seems less horrible to send back negative reviews. It's when you start going "Dear so-and-so publicists, I hated this book…." THAT'S when I freak out.

Hah hah, your post made me laugh. I have a pile of sucky ARCs that I am annoyed at, too–they are currently sitting on a table in the spare room so I don't have to look at them. 😛 I give a lot of books away, and sometimes trade, but sometimes there are some that are SO BAD that I am unwilling to admit I ever even had it in my possession.ARCs are awesome. But the pressure of them is pretty intense sometimes, it's really hard to keep up with new releases. But you do the best you can…Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

I have a very deep bookshelf, so (secretly now) I'm planning to hide my sucky ARCs behind all the other books when my bookshelf gets to over-flowing stage. It's particularly hard, in that respect, when they're unsolicited. I get some books that I'd NEVER read normally. But I feel obliged to read them if they're given. Sometimes they're awesome and I'm glad I got out of my comfort-zone. Sometimes…*shudders*All that saying, you ARE SO RIGHT. ARCs are awesome.

One reason to love reading ARCs is you can be all "I ship this ARC" and it sounds like you're somehow in love with the boat that Noah built and you can surprise people when you whip out a book and not a massive floating wooden house, with a zoo build on the side and I guess I'll show myself out now ahem. <3

Oh. my. GOSH. YES. Why didn't I think of this? This is fabulous. Although I say "Ah-ar-see" when I'm talking about them. Like the letters. Instead of saying "ark". But I might say ark now, just so people think I'm getting animals delivered to my doorstep.

Hilarious (and very true) post, Cait! I've never reviewed a physical ARC (considering I'm a fairly little blogger and that I'm from the Philippines), but I see the same problems with eARCs, especially feeling the need to finish them. But sometimes I do DNF them, and it makes me really guilty to send little DNF notes to publishers… Gah! It makes me a shameful, shameful blogger. :(Aimee @ Read by the Undead

So true. . . I'm fairly new to receiving physical ARCs, but even with eARCs. . . That dark side is true. I absolutely hate having to tell the publisher/author that I didn't like their book. I face this more with self published books and it just makes me feel so guilty. I tell them that it really needed some more editing and stuff, but I always feel like I'm piercing them in the heart with an arrow. It's much easier to get a book on my own and just silently dislike it. But, at the same time, ARCs can be awesome. A) I love packages. My siblings do not like my packages so much. They've asked me how they can get mail too. B) Books. I may have what feels like no time these days, but I always seem to manage in some reading time. C) My bookshelf looks much prettier when it's overfull. D) It makes me look smart. Okay, not ARCs in particular, but just books. I like reading them in public. Preferably in stores. I'm that person who stands in an aisle reading a book for no reason. *coughs* And one that she brought into the store. . .

Oh yes, self-published books are an entirely different kettle of fish. I almost alway say no to review requests from authors themselves now, because it is HORRIBLE having to tell the person who wrote the book you didn't like it! Publicists are hard enough! >_<But yup, all those reasons? YES YES YES. I love the packages so much. Mime gets jealous of the packages, but whatever. I even keep the actual packaging (but that's for devious reasons though, so I can put my books I give away into them and send them off…I only have to pay postage then. Recycling). Reading in publish is always awesome too. But I usually read on my Kindle when I'm out, so I don't look intelligent. I just look like I'm texting or on the internet. So sad.

Nice post! I've wondered a lot about ARC reviewing – whether or not I should do it. It would be fun to read books before everyone else, but my to-read list is already long enough and although I do occasionally pick up random books, I find most through recommendations so I'm usually sure that they're at least decent.And I've started reading Cress! 😀 I love the Lunar Chronicles. They're one of my new obsessions.

First of all: YAY FOR CRESS. It is probably my favourite series of all time, right now. (This changes, of course. For instance: when Mockingjay hits cinemas, THG will be back to being my favourite series. And when Red Rising #2 release, it will be my favourite series.)For me, the bonuses far out way the negatives for ARC reviewing. But I think there's a lot of hype around being an ARC reviewer and sometimes you forget that it can be a) overwhelming and b) awkward when you don't like the book.

My biggest problem is signing up for every ARC that looks remotely interesting, and then trying to read way too many mediocre books in a less-than-ideal amount of time, when I could be leisurely working my way through a massive to-read pile… I'm currently one of those bloggers with a "I don't have time for your book right now" message on my contact page (it's much more polite than that, I promise 😛 ).On the other hand, I have discovered a few very good books this way!

I think I'll change my review page to that…but I haven't been getting too many requests lately, so I just haven't bothered. But yes. Between ARCs and my love-affair with the library I have books coming out of my ears! Literally. (I'm practically sitting on a pile as I type. I should clean my room…you know. Find my floor under all the books.)

I would really love to a ARC reviewer but yeah I see your point (or points – plural – to be accurate). I have thought about the issue of not liking the book I get and then having to write that awful review. It really must suck. But still I am not going to let that stop me from try being a true ARC reviewer! 😉 I just received a book a few hours ago that will be my very first ARC review and I am pretty psyched about it! Hope it's not a bad one…

I love reviewing ARCs, but I agree that if you hate it, then it's just taking up space in your bookshelf. I've tried swapping with other bloggers, but postage is just so expensive! Some publishers send me finished copies, so if I don't like the finished copy, I just go to my local bookstore and trade it in for in-store credit… YAY for that. -Marianne

Very true! I'm pretty picky about what I request because a) I rarely DNF review books, so if I pick out stuff I don't like, it's torture and b) I hate not liking a book that I've asked for. Thanks so much for stopping by! Jen @ YA Romantics

Exactly! I try to be picky…but I sometimes get over-excited, because I do read just about any YA genre. And it can be so hit or miss! I've had a few absolute LOVES in paranormal, but on the whole, it doesn't usually ignite my fangirling soul. So do I request or not?! ACK.

True, true! I hate having to write reviews for mediocre books that I felt indifferent about even more so than ones I hated because I literally have nothing to say. Not one word! And I am supposed to write paragraphs about this, with sentences and multiple words! I am both lucky and unlucky in that the way I get to read ARCs is through a local bookstore so they loan them to me and I get to return them all. So, I don't get stuck with the horrible ones, but I also don't get to keep the ones I loved! The pressure of finishing and reviewing all of them is why my Stacking the Shelves posts are usually infrequent and only have a book or two. I have to try to keep it to a small stack then power through all that before getting more. There is another dark side too, reading it before everyone else frequently means that most of your bookish friends haven't read it and so then you can't discuss it with them or rant about it in detail! In the end I'd say it is very much worth it. (Being an ARC reviewer)

THAT is why blogs are awesome. I love reading books ahead of time and then discussing them with all the awesome bloggers. Ah. The life is amazing. Your system with the local bookstore is so neat! Go you! I basically do that with the library, except I don't get them ahead of time or anything…but it's such torture to take books back to the library if I really, really looooved them. I have a whole, "nooooo! my precioussss" moment and it's quite pathetic. My life.

Grrr, my laptop randomly shut off which deleted my comment to this post >.< Aha, anyway this post was wonderful and definitely made me laugh. Though I've only received e-ARCs (I'm new to blogging! haha, as you know. I'd actually like to get physical ARCs, but then of course there's a negative side to them) I can totally relate to the pressure thing. It's because you've gotten something that you know there's at least one person out there who'd love to have it, therefore you feel like writing a review is necessary. I feel so bad after writing a negative review for ARCs sometimes.

Dang. Don't you hate that? It drives me bonkers when either my computer deletes my comments or blogger does. *shakes fist at blogger* Be nice to me, blogger! Ahem. I'm definitely with you. The pressure is also a big thing for me. And balancing! Working out which to read first based on release dates…

#3 has always been a big one for me. I don't get many ARCs, but I've also found out that I've been missing out on a lot of books now that I've started blogging, and I've been working on catching up with some of those books, as well as newer releases, that despite not getting many ARCs, I still feel the pressure of reading them on time. I don't have a lot of time because of school and extra curriculars, so I've closed requests via my blog, but I still like getting ARCs. I just now see the bad side of them too. Oftentimes, I just feel so overwhelmed by an ARC, whether electronic or physical. I feel like because of timing, I should read those over books I've been waiting to read for a long time. Really insightful post, Cait! 🙂

I'm with you! I'm sooo with you! I find it hard balancing books I just plain want to read (which I borrow, usually, from the library) and books I request (or get sent unsolicited). I have to juggle the release dates and not miss anything. As is, I've messed up one book's release date and ended up blogging about it a week late! Which isn't all that bad…but I felt bad. 😉

OH MY GOD YES NUMBER FOUR. I also find it's awkward with unsolicited ARCs, because sometimes the publisher will send e.g. book 3 in a series I haven't read, and it's like :/ because then I either need to get the other two books somehow, or I kinda just leave the book sitting on the shelf awkwardly unread. And taking up VALUABLE SHELF SPACE.On the other hand, I like getting unsolicited review copies because sometimes it might introduce me to a book I might not have checked out myself. Plus, free book lol. Can't say no to that!

I know, right?! I was sent a sequel and then a third book in two different series that I'd never read….in the same week. It was kind of annoying. But yep, I am with you on the unsolicited ARCs, because I've found (and loved) a bunch of books that I wouldn't normally have picked up!

I know. . . It's so depressing. I've even downloaded earcs to my ipod. Try explaining that one to people. Then I REALLY look like I'm texting. Or, I don't know, playing Angry Birds (which I actually don't do because it makes me angry).SO I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO SAVES THE PACKAGING? Actually, I hadn't even come up with the recycling thing yet. You know. . .I'm not even sure why I save it. *stares towards pile in closet warily*

I love this post and agree with every single point. I am really new to blogging so I am learning all about the dark side of ARCs now. I went far too request happy when I first got Netgalley and Edelweiss and am now swamped under a heap of eARCs. I love it but I am really behind and feel so guilty.

I'm convinced NetGalley is a trap. It tricks me into thinking I'm on Goodreads and then…you know, half a dozen requests later it's a WHAT HAVE I DONE moment. So far, this year, I haven't requested much. (NetGalley actually rocks, by the way.) XD

This is such a good post! And even more awesome because it's totally true. Before I had a blog I used to watch youtube videos of book hauls with all arcs and I'm pretty sure my entire body was green with envy. So when they were like "not accepting arcs blah blah" I was like *gasp* WHAT. WHY NOT. Do you not realize how amazing they are? But, like you, I totally understand now. They are kind of a burden. A fun burden that I squish against my cheek now and again because HECK I HAVE AN ARC so. xD

It's definitely the downside. I really struggle finishing books that I'm not enjoying…like, I don't do it. If something isn't keeping my interest I'll "set it aside" which is definitely not good when said book is an arc. I love arc reviewing, too, but sometimes I just want to read what I want and not have to keep a reading schedule like I'm still in school. It's a double-edged sword, but arcs are mostly positive for me.

I don't care for ARCs myself. I just have so many other books I just don't want to squeeze these in. Plus I don't read as fast as other people so honestly I get one MAYBE two books read a week. So that's four books a month. They are precious to me.

I love this post! You hit it right on..I agree with you. The sad, unloved arcs that are hiding on my shelves…I sort of feel sorry for them. Most times I try to give them away but yeah, it can get expensive. All your points are things I've experienced but like you I love it still. <3 Great post!

HAHA nice! Many of the ARCs given to me are pretty sucky, but it's okay since they're just digital copies anyway– no pointless cluttering of my shelf if they were THAT bad, haha! But I reaaally don't like sending honest, yet brutal reviews back to the publishers who so kindly gave me a copy to review for free 🙁

I am glad I stumbled upon this post on good. I just had to post my first ARC review. And there were a lot of things I disliked about the book. I wrote an honest review and feel rather guilty for my dislikes.